In perhaps the most bizarre scene of an already tumultuous season for the Orlando Magic, coach Stan Van Gundy today claimed that superstar center Dwight Howard has asked the team’s management to fire him.

Van Gundy made his stunning assertion after the Magic completed their shootaround and film-review session to prepare for tonight’s game against the New York Knicks. In recent days, WKMG had reported that Howard has told team officials that he will not remain with the organization long term unless Van Gundy is gone.

“They haven’t told me anything, and they don’t need to,” Van Gundy said when asked about his own future. “I’m the coach right now, and I’m the coach until they decide I’m not the coach. They don’t need to tell me anything, and I don’t expect them to tell me anything. What I expect is that we play better defense tonight.”

Twelve games remain in the Magic’s regular season.

Magic CEO Alex Martins could not be reached for comment. Martins is on a previously scheduled family vacation.

But General Manager Otis Smith, who said he didn’t know if Van Gundy’s allegation is true, indicated that he is not inclined to make a coaching change.

"The alternative is go this way and change, but what are you changing into?" Smith said. "I think the coach has done a very good job. The team really has. We're not playing very good basketball right now, so he [Van Gundy] gets a little frustrated and the players get a little frustrated and we are where we are."

Asked if it makes it harder to coach given that he thinks Howard is not committed to him, Van Gundy responded, “It’s not a matter of being committed to me. It’s a matter of being committed to the team and trying to do everything you can to help the team win games. That’s all I’m concerned with. As far as the other stuff, I don’t think that matters. I don’t need love and support here at my job. I’ll turn to my family for that. I don’t need these guys giving me hugs and pats on the back.”

Asked what he thinks the team’s management will do, Van Gundy responded, “Obviously, it’ll be a management decision. They have to make the decision, but I ain’t worried about that.”

Then came what must be one of the most surreal moments in franchise history.

Howard walked up to Van Gundy, and clearly not knowing what Van Gundy had said or was talking about, put his arm around Van Gundy.

“Yeah, Stan, we’re not worried about that, right?” Howard said.

“That’s what I just said,” Van Gundy said. “We’ve got to be worried about winning games.”

“Yeah, what’s our main concern right now?” Howard said.

“We have to stop Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks tonight,” Van Gundy said.

After some more small talk, Van Gundy asked reporters if they had any further questions for him. When they said no, Van Gundy walked away.

“You can talk to him now,” Van Gundy said.

Howard was informed that Van Gundy said Howard wanted him gone.

When Howard was asked point blank if he asked to have Van Gundy fired, Howard referred reporters to a previous statement he had made to ESPN in which he had denied wanting Van Gundy to be dismissed.

Later, Howard said: “The only thing that we’re concerned with is winning a championship right now. Whatever happens at the end of the season is not under my control. I am a player for the Magic. I am not the GM. I am not [team owner] Rich DeVos. I am not Alex Martins. So that’s not my job. So you guys should stop with every other week [where] it’s trying to find something, because there’s nothing. There’s nothing. I haven’t said anything to anybody about anything. Our main concern is winning. So all the other stuff should stop.”

Martins has said the ultimate decision on Van Gundy's long-term status and Smith's long-term status will be made by DeVos, the 86-year-old owner of the franchise, and DeVos’ family.

Van Gundy has coached the Magic since the 2007-08 season and has compiled a 254-128 regular-season record during his tenure and a 30-24 playoff record, including a trip to the 2009 NBA Finals.

Van Gundy and Smith are under contract through the 2012-13 season.

The relationship between Howard and Van Gundy has run hot and cold.

In the past, Howard said he wanted Van Gundy to be less negative.

“I have no problem with him off the court,” Howard told Esquire magazine during the NBA lockout. “The only thing I had a real problem with was the way he coached. It was very tough with Stan, because he yelled a lot, and I don't want to be that guy to yell at my teammates along with my coach.”